Is it better to be appreciated in your own time, or later discovered for your unacknowledged brilliance? This is something I can’t help but question in the film box office as of late. I was driven to examine this very question after a recent screening of the film “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”.

“Pilgrim” felt like the film people had been wanting for quite some time, and yet when finally released it underperformed; why? When a film has a poor box office gross it could always be a number of things. Sometimes it could be timing, competition, or, in some cases, a scandal involving the film’s cast or crew. The reason why I find this subject so alarming is it feels that lately the films I enjoy the most are the ones that take the mass audience a long time to appreciate.

Now granted this isn’t always the case, but I analyzed every movie I have seen this year and besides two (“Inception” and “Shutter Island”) these films were largely ignored by the public. It started early this year in April when I saw “Kick-Ass” and “Macgruber” at both festival and theater screenings, then later continued when I looked back at other films I enjoyed but no one else saw.

The strangest thing, and definitely the most annoying, was the ignorance of the people who hadn’t seen these movies to begin with. The biggest complaint I heard from people who DIDN’T see “Kick-Ass” was that they said they don’t like superhero movies. While this is a valid complaint when it comes to a film like this, if they had actually watched it they would see the film addressed this very issue.

Normally I would chalk this up to mere ignorance, but there seems to be a growing epidemic of film preconceptions. This happened just a month later with “Macgruber” where people simply just wrote the film off entirely even when it had some surprisingly good reviews.

To put my own movie preconceptions to the test I screened two films against my will. My roommate’s girlfriend had previously recommended two films to me and I scoffed at both. She told me to give them a chance because I was being too cynical and I replied with just more cynicism. To make amends, I told her I would watch the two films with her and give my honest opinion. What were these two films you ask? “The Ugly Truth” and “The Last Song”, yes I know, bad, right? I swallowed my pride with a big, nervous gulp and went where few men have boldly gone before.

When it came to “The Ugly Truth”, I knew the film would be bad by both my standards and that of the general public. Katherine Heigle is a “1-note actress”, she has only proven herself in one role (“Knocked Up”) and has simply replayed that same sassy yet slightly annoying character in different shades since. I also knew by the bad acting and atrocious dialogue in the trailer that I had a pretty good idea of how the film would play out. So what happened after I was done viewing the film? Was I surprised? No, of course not! Because, SPOILER ALERT, the two characters who “hate” each other by the end fall in love just as I predicted and yes Heigle’s shades of Grey acting were all the same. The sad part about this is, I fell asleep halfway through the film because I knew this very thing would happen, so I had to wake up and endure the finale.

By the time I finished “The Ugly Truth” I simply did not have it in me to finish the “The Last Song”. I watched the first half of the film and after realizing the similarities between the two, I knew I would not be fooled twice in one night. So while I gave the films that I had preconceptions about a chance, I’m sure you are asking, what did I learn?

Well to be honest, not a whole hell of a lot, sadly. What I did scrape by with however, was this; when you decide whether or not you want to see a movie, do your research. Now I know that sounds like work but it’s really not. The reason why I knew “Knight and Day” would be an enjoyable film was because both the director (James Mangold -  “Walk the Line” “3:10 to Yuma”) and it’s star (Tom Cruise) have proven track records. The reason why the film failed at the box office however was simply because people are unwilling to forgive Mr. Cruise for his past transgression in the tabloids.

So stop basing your opinion of a movie on a trailer or a man’s religion, but maybe see what the film is about and who the writer or director was instead. To compare, the films the director of “The Ugly Truth”  had made previously were “Legally Blonde” and “Monster-in-Law”, yeah ’nuff said. It’s not too hard to detect the bad films of the world out there, but occasionally you can be fooled. Although when it comes to bad movies I’d much rather watch “Dinner for Schmucks” again instead of watching Miley Cyrus try to act.

Sterling Cooper. If you have no idea what that name means or signifies, than I’ve already lost you. However, if you do know what Sterling Cooper means than you can understand why it makes “Mad Men” the OBSESSION OF THE WEEK.

For most people I know, “Mad Men” is a show that takes a little while to not only understand but to also love. Yet once you do get the premise and genius of the show, you’re completely hooked. As soon as you hear the short but sweet symphony begin the title sequence, you know what it means; it’s Draper time. Draper being the main character behind the show, Donald Draper to be exact. Don Draper works at Sterling Cooper, an advertising agency in the 1960′s, hooked yet? Yeah, neither were most people.

Though the more you watch the more you realize not only the significance of advertising in the 1960′s but also how you’ve been transported into a whole other world that you’ve never before witnessed. Granted, it’s probably because most of the show’s fans weren’t alive when it’s many historic events occurred. Whether they are representing a Bra company that asks “are you a Jackie or a Marilyn” or showing the beginnings of racial stereotypes in advertisements. “Mad Men” is a show that interests both history buffs and culture aficionados alike.

That’s not to say the show doesn’t offer many other eye popping interests as well. With a fantastic premise the show boasts a beautiful cinematic look all its own while still being faithful to the time period. “Mad Men” also has a fantastic cast of mostly relative unknowns and a writing staff that previously worked on “The Sopranos”. If that’s not enough to make you watch I’m not sure I can better convince you.

What else makes the show so addicting is the lifestyle it presents, when watching an episode your tempted to make yourself an “old fashioned” just to feel like you’re in that world. With sharp dialogue, amazing costumes, and set decoration, it’s very easy to get wrapped up in this place that time may have forgotten.

Don’t miss out on this engrossing and masterfully made program. It’s worth every drop.

Mad Men airs Sundays at 7:00 ET 10:00 PST on AMC

I spent nearly 4 hours watching and reading coverage of this year’s Comic-Con 2010, and after it was all said and done I felt very empty. What began as an article supporting the excitement and recent burst of hype in the media changed quickly. I knew that I had a journalistic responsibility to expose how hype has effected me and the world in which we live in. So while writing this article it turned into something very different, I hope you enjoy.

The time is here, Comic-Con 2010 has come and gone, who cares right? Well some people do, over 100,000 in fact. Comic-Con, for those who do not know what it is or see it as just a “nerd-fest”, has slowly become in its 40 years of existence the quintessential media event of the year. CNN, The New York Times, and Time Magazine – all different mediums of highly prestigious and primarily current-event oriented news have covered it. “It” in question is a 4 day event held every year at the San Diego Convention Center in Southern California. Comic-Con offers everything from celebrity panels to exclusive footage that won’t be seen anywhere else for almost a year. It is a nerd haven where those who are usually neglected by the “popular crowd” take center stage and are embraced for all the nerdyness that they can dish out. The past few years have been effected by the winds of change however.

While the convention used to usually consist of those that I previously mentioned, with the recent “SuperHero Film Boom”, it now is something that has morphed into a hype fest of sorts. The nerds of the world have been given the spotlight and branded with a dollar sign above their greasy unpolished foreheads. Unfortunately, instead of fighting the system as this culture has so often done before, being cast into obscurity for so long has had the opposite effect. Nerds display themselves proudly and have become a product sold to the highest bidder. This society has lived their lives without the respect they so often seek for far too long and now that they have their “moment in the sun”  they aren’t looking for shade anytime soon.

What has happened as a result, is a transformation of something that was created as a conference for those who feel different to now a freak show for the mass public to scoff at and then benefit from. It is because of this negative effect that I can’t help but wonder is hype a good thing? “Hype” to most is just another word for anticipated excitement and yet to the rich fat-cats of the world it is just another way to add more zero’s to their bank account. With these “exclusive looks” and “collectors items” we as consumers are supposed to feel special and elite. Yet when the very people who want you to pump their gas or serve them coffee are those who fund such an “elite” status it’s difficult not to question it’s merit. Comic-Con has become nothing more than an oversized and overcrowded “Monorail-Tour” at Universal Studios where the audience is given an “inside look” at how movies are really made when it’s nowhere near close.

We are shuttled around like cattle, being told to be excited because something is happening when really the cover has been thrown over our eyes. It feels to me almost like the scene in the film “Big Fish” where the ringmaster of the circus gives a ridiculously long interlude for a giant and when he is finally revealed, he is no taller than someone slightly above average. Following this revelation, we then see what an actual giant looks like and the crowd snaps silent, including the ringmaster. What I mean by this analogy is that Comic-Con is an amazing event when it’s done right, but recently it has become just a parade of the slightly average. I attended Comic-Con at the “beginning of the end” as they call it, and the sad part is I could feel it. While I attended the celebrity panels and felt that lovely false sense of entitlement I mentioned, it wasn’t until I saw what comic-con truly was that I realized it’s fraud.

Comic-Con should be a unification of what we all value most in storytelling; actual storytelling. Instead, the studios of the world have invaded ours in which we created like a sheep in wolf’s clothing (or latex, depending on the costume). To better formulate my point let me use a real world example. The “Harry Potter” novels are rich detailed stories and have taken the time both in the written word and screen in order to prove this point. Rather than cast a “flavor of the week” actor or actress, these films use relatable unknowns as their leads and classically-trained actors to support this ever-expanding universe. To contrast, the “Twilight” novels and films are ones that unlike “Potter” weren’t based around a deeply complex character or in a world unlike anything we could imagine. These poorly written books and disgustingly low quality array of films rely on the very thing you shouldn’t; hype. Hype is destroying so many things around us and yet we just accept it, hoping like it’s predecessors it will simply pass on.

What I valued most about the times I went to Comic-Con, was when I sat down one-on-one with an author or an artist and was able to talk to them about the process that went into creating that particular piece of work. Yet when we are constantly bombarded with what “is” hip and what “will be” big we lose sight of what actually is beautiful and significant in this world. Art is something that should be examined, and something that should be appreciated. But when things are rushed like a panel where a fan can’t even ask a question (“Chuck”) or a multi-million dollar film that takes less time to develop than to make (“Twilight”), we lose sight of why we love these things to begin with. I’m not condemning fandom or even vampires for that matter, but what I’m saying is slow down. Hype relies solely on speed and yet because of that, substance suffers in the process. If you want to make me excited, put in the time and effort in order to do so. Because when you do, films like “Inception” happen and yet when you don’t, well, let’s just say something much worse happens instead.

Though it’s not too late, there is still hope but we must act now and we must support what deserves and truly needs it. Go to an art gallery and tell me that after looking at a piece for 5 minutes you know what the painting means. If so, then maybe there is not as much hope as I thought. But if not, then from one nerd to another let me tell you thank you and may the force be with you….always.

Today in this day and age we are subjected to a wide array of advertisements. There are commercials before our movie previews and there are pop up ads advertising products before we buy something on amazon. So needless to say, that it is rare to really feel affected in any way by an advertisement today because of the constant onslaught we have sadly become accustomed to.

This however changed on Thursday when I saw the trailer for the upcoming film “The Social Network” by director David Fincher. Now granted, as of last year I mentioned on the podcast that i would begin to watch less and less trailers in order to be more surprised by the upcoming film releases. To me, trailers nowadays seem to give away so much that you only find a handful each year that actually get you excited about a film without giving it all away, this film is part of that handful.

Every once in awhile, people throw around terms like “a film that defines a generation” and I usually laugh or scoff at a statement such as this. But as an ashamed member of this A.D.D. generation, I will boldly agree with this outlandish statement. “The Social Network”, revolves around the creation of the social networking site FACEBOOK.COM. To put it simply, this film has the writing (Aaron Sorkin – “The West WIng”), the direction (David Fincher – “Zodiac”), and a slew of young talent (Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, and Justin Timberlake). I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am about a film of such potential. Since the online premiere I have watched the trailer at least 5 times more.

With a great song (eerie cover of Radiohead’s “Creep”), fast dialogue, and a great tagline (You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies) this trailer is my – OBSESSION OF THE WEEK.

Watch “The Social Network” trailer below:

Jared (L) talks with writer/director Bryan Poyser (R)

After the SXSW screening of “Lovers of Hate” in Austin, TX we sat down with the writer/director/editor of the film, Bryan Poyser. Bryan also wrote and directed the festival favorite, “Dear Pillow”.

Death to the Movies: Thanks for talking with us, Bryan.

Bryan Poyser: It’s my pleasure.

DttM: I understand you grew up here in Austin, is that right?

BP: I didn’t grow up here, but I have been here since 1993. I went to school here at the University of Texas, and I really enjoyed it so I’ve stuck around since then.

DttM: Where are you from originally?

BP: I’ve lived in many different places from Connecticut to Washington to New York City.

DttM: Did you get your start in filmmaking here in Austin then?

BP: I was actually more interested in being an actor in high school. At my high school, they had a thing called “Senior projects” where you take your last year to do whatever you wanted. So I decided to make a movie. I ended up making this really terrible and ridiculous “Lost Boys” rip-off vampire movie. It was shot on VHS and it was so cheap and stupid, like the vampires were out during the day because we didn’t know how to light scenes at night. It was pretty terrible and embarrassing and I hope whatever VHS copies remain are so degraded that no one can ever see it. But the experience of doing that, of being creatively consumed, hanging out all day in the A.V. room editing tape-to-tape, was so fulfilling. It was the first time I came upon something that fulfilled me in all aspects, emotionally, creatively, spiritually, it was just so much fun. It made me not want to be lazy, I worked really hard on it. Even though it turned out bad it made me think that this is what I want to do and I want to get better at this. So that’s when I enrolled at UT to become a filmmaker.

DttM: “Lovers of Hate” is featured on Video on Demand, how do you feel something like that will help the exposure of independent film today?

BP: For me, the last two features I did didn’t make a dime and hardly anyone saw them. With this new film we were fortunate enough to make it into Sundance and South by Southwest, the two biggest festivals in the US, and the exposure that the film has gotten just through these festivals has probably given us the most press we’ll get for it. With companies like IFC, who picked up the film, they’re trying out this new model where the festivals are almost like the theatrical run for the movie and it’s like we should strike while the iron is hot. Meaning when people are talking about the movie, and people are doing interviews with me like this one, and people are aware of the existence of the film, that’s when we should make the film available to an audience that might not have it in their city. With “Dear Pillow” I was on the festival circuit for 1 1/2 years, it took another 1 1/2 years just to get it out on DVD, and then the company that distributed it folded a year later. And I got so much out of that movie, it got an Independent Spirit Award nomination, it opened so many doors for us, it helped people take notice of what we were doing, but it just took so long for it to become available to people. So it was like, as much as I want people to see our film in the theaters and as much as I love the experience of having the film play at festivals, why not take a chance, lets try this and see if this Video on Demand thing is gonna work.

DttM: What’s your criteria or what do you look for when you watch a movie?

BP: My only request to the filmmaker is to show me something new. Surprise me because I’ve watched a lot of movies, I’ve soaked up movies since I was a kid but after seeing so much you get used to the tropes and the formulas. That’s what Hollywood is good at, but I’m always waiting for it to get me to the point where I can’t help but question the plot’s next move.

Bryan Poyser (L) with some of the cast & crew at the SXSW premiere of “Lovers of Hate”

DttM: Were there any movies that specifically inspired you?

BP: Most filmmakers today always go back to the 70′s, I was lucky enough where growing up with my step-dad,  he showed me a lot of things like that. I was 14 and he would say things like “You’ve never seen Raging Bull? Taxi Driver? Midnight Cowboy?”. While these movies were quite advanced to what I was ready for at that age, again they surprised me. They jolted me to realize there is a more deep and psychologically rich cinema out there that I wasn’t getting from these extravaganzas and blockbusters at the cinema.

DttM: Have you seen any films here at SXSW that you particularly enjoyed?

BP: I haven’t seen too many unfortunately. I’ve seen “Cold Weather” by Aaron Katz. It was interesting and showed some similarities to my own film that was interesting. It had some surprising genre elements of action and suspense and had a wet, soggy, and beautiful landscape surrounding it. It was a beautiful character piece and was again surprising to me where it switches from a relationship piece to almost a mystery, but I also have a lot of friends here showing films as well such as “Tiny Furniture”, “Happy Poet”,  and “Mars”. That’s the great thing about South by Southwest is that we bring movies from all around the world but we also use it to showcase what we have here in Texas as well.

DttM: What do you have next that you’re working on?

BP: Actually, I have a  script that I’ve been working on.

DttM: A vampire script?

BP: Yes, [laughs] well no, but it is a thriller actually and is set in an elevator. I wrote the script before “Lovers of Hate” and just finished a re-write so I’m gonna try looking for financing and if it doesn’t work out I’ll be sure to write something else.

DttM: Thanks so much Bryan, it was great talking with you.

BP: Thanks, you too.

Lovers of Hate is currently available on IFC’s VOD. Check out the trailer here

And the official website here

For our review on Lovers of Hate, click here